It's The Little Things
by serenitymeimei
Summary: Nearly a month had passed since Dani Reese watched her partner climb into that white SUV and trade his life for her own.. Crews/Reese, Post "One."


**Disclaimer:** Life isn't mine. If it were, we'd have seen those lacy purple panties a lot more often... just sayin'. (see profile for a REAL disclaimer)

* * *

><p>Nearly a month had passed since Dani Reese watched her partner climb into that white SUV and trade his life for her own. She would never admit it out loud, but she froze that day. Her legs had stubbornly rooted to the ground and her body went completely numb as she watched Roman drive away with him, a willing hostage. If he had died it would've been her fault, it would have happened because of her, and that was something that she couldn't live with. Somewhere along the line, like a cheery, redheaded fungus, he'd grown on her, and when the dust finally settled in that orange grove and the sound of revving engines had faded, she hadn't cared that Bodner could see the panic in her eyes. All she could think about was getting him back.<p>

In the end, by some miracle or act of God, an hour later they'd found him standing in the middle of hundreds of swaying trees dotted with colorful fruit, staring up at the sun like its warmth would absolve him of all his sins. She'd felt like crying when she first spotted him. It had taken all of her will to resist barking at Bodner to step on it and get to him as quickly as possible. She hadn't fully understood it at the time- why her heart had fluttered, a wave of relief enveloping her so strongly that all she could do was stare at him in awe until the car finally came to a stop- but now as she laid on an expensive patio chair in Crews' back yard, lounging lazily in the Californian sun on a Saturday afternoon, she was finally beginning to figure it all out.

"You okay, Reese?"

Blinking heavily, she squinted up at Charlie and smiled softly when she saw what he was carrying, "Yeah, I'm alright. But, you know, when I said I wanted a to drink I didn't mean one with a little umbrella. Water would've been fine."

He shrugged as he passed her one of the strawberry daiquiris he'd made and Dani rolled her eyes. Of course he'd found a way to put fruit in her drink, she shouldn't have been surprised. The glass was cool her in hand, little drops of condensation building around her fingers the longer she studied it, apprehension curling around her. She'd actually managed to stick to the program this time around, it had been months since she'd last had the urge to lose herself in alcohol. Should she chance it now, though? She knew that she'd be safe here, he wouldn't let anything happen to her, but once she started she wasn't sure that she'd be able to stop. It was so tempting.

"It's okay, Reese," he spoke softly, suddenly sitting on the edge of her chair, a wave of languid warmth radiating from the spot where his hip brushed her knee, "They're virgin, I promise."

Something inside of her lightened, the panic that had been slowly building unraveling with a few simple words. She should have known that he would never put her in that position. Their partnership was one of both give and take, it was equal and understanding, and so much more. She'd never had that before, that trust, not with anyone and sometimes it was a little harder for her to remember that than she'd like to admit.

Meeting his gaze, she dared to press her leg more fully against him, adding the smallest amount of pressure to their connection, "Thanks, Crews."

He smiled, one of those toothy grins that she rarely saw, genuine and brilliant, and reached over to take her free hand in his as if he did it every day, "Always."

Her breath hitched, lashes fluttering shut briefly as still damp fingertips danced across her palm and encompassed her in his grasp. He squeezed lightly, searching her eyes with a gentle gaze, and she shyly returned the gesture without hesitation.

It was new and strange, and she knew that only a few short months ago she would have shied away from him, from this, but there was something about Roman denying them the simple comfort of touch that day that made both of them gravitate toward each other in ways that she'd never thought they'd share. In the following weeks, throughout the aftermath of IAD questioning and breaking it off with an overbearing and concerned Tidwell, whenever she felt Charlie's steady hand on the small of her back or the press of his bicep against her shoulder as they stood together in the precinct elevator, she knew that she wasn't alone, that he needed her just as much as she needed him. Everything that they'd been through- two years of relapses, kidnappings, shootings and conspiracies- she was certain that it had all led up to that moment, to two people finding what they'd been missing in each other.

The corners of Dani's mouth flickered, curving upward into a peaceful smile as a quiet breeze whispering across her skin. She wasn't going to freeze this time or let another opportunity pass her by. Instead, she tightened her fingers around his and rested them on her bare knee as she leaned back and took a sip of her drink.

It terrified her, but as he settled more fully against the side of her leg she managed to relax and sigh in content. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Maybe Zen wasn't such a bad thing after all.

**End.**


End file.
